BT customers are also paying more but Plusnet users appear to have been hit by the biggest rise with some prices going up 50 per cent in the past five years.

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Virgin Media and Sky customers have seen their prices rise BEST Broadband deals – biggest offers from Sky, Virgin Media and BT Wed, February 8, 2017

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In response to the rise in price a Sky spokesperson told Express.co.uk: "“The cost of line rental not only covers the cost of the physical line to a customer’s door, it also contributes towards continued investment in our network, as well as delivering the very best service to our customers.

While in-contract prices have barely changed since 2011 – by just £1.12 for copper broadband and 54p for fibre – out-of-contract prices have increased by 38 per cent for copper and 19 per cent for fibre.

This means those who don’t move to a new provider or sign up to a new deal once their contract ends are paying well over the odds.

USWITCH

Speaking about the issues consumers face, Ewan Taylor-Gibson, broadband expert at uSwitch, said: “A combination of soaring line rental costs and out-of-contract pricing has really hammered broadband users over the past five years. The good news is you don’t have to put up with it.

“First, check your bill and make absolutely sure you’re still in contract, because anyone who isn’t is likely paying through the nose.

“Most broadband contracts are 12 or 18 months long, so if you’ve not moved in the past year, you might well find you’re out of contract and paying, on average, 38% more than everyone else.